Snail
Snail are a psychedelic doom metal band from Seattle, Washington, USA. Active in their initial run from 1992 - 1995 their eponymous self-titled album earned them a cult following among the stoner rock scene as a short-lived but impacting act. Snail would re-form in 2008 as a quartet and have since released three more albums and remained active performing since. History Snail formed in 1992 consisting of singer Mark Johnson (The Crucified, PASTE, Blessing the Hogs), bassist Matt Lynch and drummer Marty Dodson. Quickly signing to Big Deal Records the eponymous first album Snail was well received by critics and garnered much praise in the press, as well as gaining a loyal following from peers like long time supporters Fu Manchu and Nebula. The band would largely share the stage with Noothgrush and Sleep in their inaugural run.SnailHQ on FacebookAccessed 31 August 2017 A follow-up release came in the form of All Channels Are Open, recorded entirely to 4-track and featuring a cover of Falling Over The Edge by P.A.S.T.E. which was Mark Johnson's previous band. Snail sadly succumbed to the “sex, drugs, an Rock n Roll” lifestyle and eroded to the point of breaking up in 1995. The band also recorded demos for a second album that at that point never saw release. A cover of The Who's "Boris The Spider" also appeared on a 4-Way split 7" released by Carbon 14 Magazine. Snail reunited in 2008 after 15 years of slumber with the same lineup but adding longtime friend Eric Clausen as a second guitarist. The band would spend the year re-recording the songs for their second album Blood, an album 13 years in the making. Armed with old cassette demos and a few new tunes Snail entered the studio in May 2008 to finally record the lost second album. They completed the basic tracks at Matt's studio in Los Angeles and over the next 5 months overdubs were recorded at Mark's home near Seattle. Signing to MeteorCity Records Blood saw release on 2 August 2009. Not merely riff-rock, “Blood” combined fuzzy guitars and a pummeling rhythm section with layered, soaring melodies rarely heard in the genre. The record was praised by underground critics and even attracted the attention of one Henry Rollins, getting multiple plays on his “Fanatics” radio show on influential Los Angeles station KCRW. The band would play their first live show in 14 years at Audie's Olympic on 25 November 2009.FacebookAccessed 31 August 2017 The band would follow with a short tour in 2010 and begin work on their third studio album. Snail’s third album would be Terminus, released independently on 1 May 2012. Showcasing all fresh material and infused with the enthusiasm of newly minted collaboration, the album showed a shift in the band's tones more towards older metal and psychedelia with lyrical themes on mortality and the self-destruction of the modern world, billed as their "metal" album. The band would also release the original demos for Blood on 1 July 2012 through their Bandcamp page. The band embarked on a short tour of the West coast in 2013, including an appearance at Doom in June in Las VegasFacebookAccessed 31 August 2017 andtheir first hometown show in four years on 8 June.FacebookAccessed 31 August 2017 During a time or dormancy the band began work on a new record. Snail would sign to Small Stone Records and release their fourth album and most diverse effort in Feral on 25 September 2015. Feral was praised by critics and the band followed with an eight-day west coast tour in support of it. Obelisk ArticleAccessed 31 August 2017 Snail would go into the next couple years with their first ever performances in the East Coast (Culminating in The Obelisk All-Dayer), participating in a benefit show for Mike Scheidt and appearing at the 2017 edition of Psycho Las Vegas. Discography Studio Albums * Snail (1993, Big Deal Records) * Blood (2009, MeteorCity Records) * Terminus (2012, Independent) * Feral (2015, Small Stone Records) Misc. Releases * All Channels Are Open (EP) (1994, Big Deal Records) * Untitled (4-way Split) (Split with Blag Dahlia, Cosmic Psychos, Ultra Bide) (1995, Carbon 14) * The '93 - '94 Blood Demos (Demo) (2012, Independent) Members *'Matt Lynch' - Bass (1992 - 1995, 2008 - Present) *'Marty Dodson' - Drums (1992 - 1995, 2008 - Present) *'Mark Johnson' - Guitar, Vocals (1992 - 1995, 2008 - Present) *'Eric Clausen' - Guitars (2008 - Present) External Links *Snail HQ *Facebook *Bandcamp References Category:Band Category:Seattle Category:Washington Category:Psychedelic Doom Metal Category:USA Category:Snail